Puerto Rican officials were under renewed scrutiny this week after warehouses of unused supplies were discovered following multiple disasters and repeated pleas for help to the US government.
“The pallets of bedding, food and medical supplies sat wrapped in plastic and unused in a warehouse for more than two years while Puerto Ricans suffered through the aftermath of a devastating hurricane and, recently, an earthquake. Now their discovery has triggered a political firestorm,” reports Fox News.
“On Sunday, Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez fired two more officials in the most recent development since anger broke out over a viral video showing unused emergency supplies – allegedly left-over aid from Hurricane Maria – sitting in a warehouse in the southern coastal city of Ponce,” adds Fox.
“There are thousands of people who made sacrifices to bring aid to the south and it’s unforgivable that resources have been kept in a warehouse,” the governor’s initial statement said.
Read the full report here.
Source: Fox News
BAD VACATION: Trump Slams Top Democrats for ‘Celebrating Shutdown’ in Puerto Rico
President Trump didn’t mince words when commenting on the Democrats’ recent trip to Puerto Rico Monday; saying he was in the nation’s capital “all weekend” while liberal lawmakers were “celebrating” the shutdown on a tropical beach.
President Trump: "I've been here all weekend. A lot of the Democrats were in Puerto Rico celebrating something. I don't know. Maybe they're celebrating the #shutdown." pic.twitter.com/iZoixGG0Ro
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 14, 2019
“I’ve been here all weekend. A lot of the Democrats were in Puerto Rico celebrating something. I don’t know, maybe they’re celebrating the shutdown. We have a very big crisis on the border. Everybody knows it, they know it,” said the president.
“The Republicans are rock solid, we’ve got to take care of our border. Many of the people that aren’t being paid right now are in total agreement with us,” he added.
Watch the President’s comments above.
HE’S OUT: Puerto Rico Governor Resigns Over Hurricane Corruption Scandal, Public Protests
Puerto Rico’s embattled governor announced his resignation Wednesday evening; ending weeks of public protests over his widening corruption and hurricane relief scandal.
“Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced his resignation Wednesday days after demonstrators at the island’s largest protest in recent history called for his ouster over a scandal involving leaked private chats as well as corruption investigations and arrests,” reports NBC News.
“His resignation, effective Aug. 2, came late Wednesday night on a recorded video published on Facebook. In the message, he touted what he considered accomplishments of his tenure, saying he fought corruption and made strides for different communities,” adds the article.
El gobernador, Ricardo Rossello, ofrece un Mensaje al Pueblo.
Posted by La Fortaleza de PR on Wednesday, July 24, 2019
“My only North Star has been the well-being of my island,” said Rossello.
President Trump weighed-in last week on the escalating corruption scandal plaguing multiple officials in Puerto Rico; saying the US Congress “squandered” upwards of $92 billion on hurricane relief.
“A lot of bad things are happening in Puerto Rico. The Governor is under siege, the Mayor of San Juan is a despicable and incompetent person who I wouldn’t trust under any circumstance, and the United States Congress foolishly gave 92 Billion Dollars for hurricane relief, much of which was squandered away or wasted, never to be seen again. This is more than twice the amount given to Texas & Florida combined. I know the people of Puerto Rico well, and they are great. But much of their leadership is corrupt, & robbing the U.S. Government blind!” posted the President on social media.
….of which was squandered away or wasted, never to be seen again. This is more than twice the amount given to Texas & Florida combined. I know the people of Puerto Rico well, and they are great. But much of their leadership is corrupt, & robbing the U.S. Government blind!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2019
Original Story: July 11, 2019
The FBI arrested multiple officials in Puerto Rico Wednesday regarding a potential “payoff” scheme using American hurricane relief aid on the island following a series of natural disasters.
“The FBI on Wednesday arrested two former senior officials who served in the administration of Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, leading the chairman of the House committee that oversees Puerto Rico to call for the governor to step down,” reports the Washington Post.
“The arrests also spurred concerns on Capitol Hill about the billions of dollars in aid that Congress has approved for the island,” adds the newspaper. “The federal indictment says the former officials illegally directed federal funding to politically connected contractors. The arrests come about a month after Congress approved a controversial disaster aid bill that earmarked additional funding for Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria in 2017. The aid was tied up in part because President Trump called island officials ‘incompetent or corrupt.’
CHair @RepRaulGrijalva is calling for Gov. Rossello of Puerto Rico to step down given multiple arrests in a corruption probe. The @washingtonpost story is accurate, despite some confusion. https://t.co/sVAwGRGlvs
— Natural Resources Committee (@NRDems) July 10, 2019
“Keleher and Avila-Marrero exploited their government positions and fraudulently awarded contracts funded with federal monies,” U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Vélez said. “The charged offenses are reprehensible, more so in light of Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis.”
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